Area students learn to code

Technology may be ubiquitous in today's world, but that doesn't mean the skills needed to empower its tools are in wide supply.

Beth Perdue

Technology may be ubiquitous in today's world, but that doesn't mean the skills needed to empower its tools are in wide supply.

A global event called Hour of Code looked to draw attention last month to a growing need for people who can write computer code.

The event was widely followed, with an estimated 12,000 local participants at school systems and colleges throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. Across the globe, approximately 4.88 million students were expected to participate in 168 countries.

At a Bristol Community Event event, 53 students learned how to program a robot as an introduction to coding, according to Sid Martin, president of Dartmouth-based Modern Technology Council.

Of the 53, "only three had previously done any sort of coding on a computer," said Martin.

"We set up some robots and showed them how they could be programmed for an hour of code activity, then we spent another hour plus with them going over here's how you can program a robot," he said. "When we wrapped up, at least 30 percent of them were really psyched to learn more and that's the goal."

An electrical engineer, Martin said he started working in computer graphics in the early '80s when the industry wasn't even formed yet. Students today may learn how to use a variety of devices, but they don't encounter the coding that makes it all work, unless they go looking for it, he said.

Hour of Code was designed to introduce them to coding concepts.

"What they're exposed to really are programs that have already been written. Coding helps them think creatively rather than just follow what someone else told the computer to do," said Martin.

Sponsored by technology giants including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple, Hour of Code is intended to help avoid a widening computer skills gap in the country, say organizers, by demonstrating that anyone can learn the basics of coding. The goal is to recruit 10 million students of all ages to participate by taking a self-guided online tutorial at websites like http://csedweek.org/learn.

"Computer programming jobs are growing twice as fast as jobs in other fields, and if current trends continue, by 2020 we will be facing a shortfall of one million computer science professionals," said Andrew Faria, founder of the Modern Technology Council.

Over a dozen Southeastern Massachusetts school districts were participating in the December program or planning upcoming activities, including schools in Cohasset, Duxbury, Fairhaven, Fall River, Milton, Plymouth, Pembroke, Somerset, Westport, and Weymouth.

While the week-long December series of events is past, Martin said some events will stretch into January and February. Additional information can also be found at websites like code.org.

And it's not just for kids, he said.

"You can go to code.org and do the angry birds exercise as an adult," said Martin. "I did it myself and I actually learned something...If you're an adult and you're curious, jump in."

The MTC exists to increase public awareness about modern technology efforts and promote open standards, philosophies, and culture that have revolutionized technology in the past decade. For more information, visit www.alt236.org.